Contracts are good; having a paper trail of decisions you make and communications you’ve had with clients and customers is also good; putting an insulting diatribe into an e-mail or an unprofessional letter and actually sending it–not good. It is a good idea to think twice (at least) about what you put in writing and what the long term effects will be on you home-based business.
The idea behind putting something in writing is to make it permanent and lasting and to create a perpetual record. I think people forget that e-mail is not just an extension of a telephone call or a face-to-face conversation–it’s really closer to a written record. Plus, e-mail has the potential to take on a perpetual life of it’s own as an e-mail can be forwarded and forwarded and forwarded (into eternity). When it comes to your business or your work reputation–keeping this in mind can keep you from making some big mistakes by firing off and sending an emotional or unprofessional e-mail. E-mails and letters are not temporary conversations. Once you click save, print, and/or send–it’s a written document with a life of its own.
Sure, who among us has not wanted to fire off something emotional and full of our favorite boundary-setting and vicious words? Okay, go ahead and write that letter or e-mail, but for goodness sake, do not send it! This is where delete comes in extremely handy. If you are feeling the surge of adrenaline and heat of anger or annoyance, your fingers might be flying over the keyboard and you might even think you are more inspired and articulate than you have ever been–but send that diatribe to the customer, client, colleague, or whoever, and you will likely regret it. Not to mention, it will hurt your business. Find a trusted friend and vent, but don’t take it out on your business.
Also: Working With Challenging Customers and Clients
You Don’t Have to Like Them to do Business With Them–Or Do You?